Revlon v Mermade: I Tested Two Bargain Hot brushes For A Week

I’m officially obsessed with hot brushes

90s-inspired hairstyles are having a moment, but none have a hold on me like a blowout.

Revived by modern muses like Matilda Djerf, it was 90’s icons Cindy Crawford and Cher Horowitz (Clueless, duh!) who made trending bouncy hair a thing.

A blowout is all about voluminous face-framing strands, lifted roots and softly curled ends for a “fluffy”, airy finish that’s super glam. Whatever your hair type, texture or colour, a blowout is a universal style that looks incredible on everyone. 

If you’re one of the few that’s mastered the skill of using a round brush and hair dryer, I salute you. If not, I’ve got you. 

With a hot brush, blowouts are bouncier, fluffier and EASIER than ever. And no tangles or tired arms. Plus, they’re a godsend for freshening up day-old hair with a touch of dry shampoo.

What is a hot brush?

It’s a hybrid hot air styling tool, combining a hair dryer with a brush. 

A round hot brush (like the beauties I reviewed below) will dry as you style with nylon or boar bristles promising silky-soft strands with added volume.

The combination of hot air heating the surface of your hair and the tension created from smoothing strands through and around the brush shapes your style.

From silky-smooth styles to bouncy blowouts—the best hot brushes do it all. 

How do I use a hot brush?

My top tip. After washing your hair, wait until your tresses are around 70-80% air-dried before you get started. That minimises the amount of heat used and cuts down on styling time.

Always, always, always use a heat protectant. Creams and leave-in lotions are great for damp hair, while lightweight aerosols work perfectly for dry hair. 

Section off your hair to make it easier to style and prepare for your Mia Thermopolis tress transformation. 

Place the brush at the root and pass through your hair, applying constant tension. Keep rotating the hot brush—you can use the cool-tip end for maximum control—to add volume at the roots and create cool girl flicked lengths.

Best hot brush: Revlon v Mermade

Of course, each tool works differently on every type of hair. Mine is thick, wavy and prone to frizz (yay). Usually, it takes two hot tools to style my hair: a hairdryer to smooth and a curling wand to add waves. 

So, my love for an easy-peasy, super speedy hot brush is real.

I used the Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer & Volumiser Hot Brush and Mermade Blow Dry Brush for a week each. Keep scrolling for my honest review of how they compare.

Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer & Volumiser Hot Brush

Key features:

● Ceramic coated barrel with an oval shape.

● Nylon & tufted bristles with boar technology

● Three heat settings & a style-setting cool blast function

● Even heat distribution dries & styles quickly

The Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer & Volumiser Hot Brush went viral on TikTok and Instagram for being the answer to swishy blowouts. So, naturally, it was my first port of call for a hot brush newbie. 

My verdict: I was *very* impressed. The oval brush shape helped lift the roots (although this volume did drop a little throughout the day) and smooth out my frizz-prone strands without making them feel like straw. 

That’ll be thanks to the barrel’s ceramic coating, which meant that the hot tool conducted heat slowly and evenly to minimise damage caused by excess heat and over-styling. It also boasts ionic tech to add a glossy shine to hair as the brush passes through each section. 

I loved its combination of nylon and tufted bristles. They did a great job of detangling my mane and smoothing out my waves and stubborn flyaways to deliver a bouncy result. 

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Mermade Hair Blowdry Brush

Key features:

● 60mm barrel brush with an oval shape

● Three heat settings (low, medium, high)

● Ultra-lightweight design at 400g

● Ionic technology to seal hair cuticles for shiny results

To be honest, I was in love as soon as I saw the pastel pink colour. 

A huge perk? Mermade’s Blowdry Brush is great for those whose arms get tired after blowdrying and styling their hair (aka me!) as it’s officially the lightest hot brush on the market at just 400g. Blowdrying doesn’t feel like a workout anymore, woo! 

I found the brush super easy to use and liked how the flexible bristles didn’t pull or snag on my hair—an impressive feat considering my mane’s notorious for getting knotty quickly. 

Like the Revlon hot brush, this Mermade number has ionic technology, releasing teeny negative ions to help close the hair cuticle, which locks in moisture and natural oils to boost mega shine. And I’m not mad about it.

Overall, I noticed my tresses felt soft, swishy and healthy after styling. A job well done.

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